This measure captures the percentage of Austinites that currently live near a regular Capital Metro public transportation route or have access to innovative forms of public transit service. As of 2023, 47.32% of people are within a quarter-mile of regular fixed route transit or a public innovative mobility service.

Traditional public transit service operates on the same fixed routes every day, and it is a reliable way to get where you need to go without driving or riding in a personal vehicle. However, Austin’s traditional north-south development pattern, largely centered on the automobile, has contributed to difficulty in offering time-competitive, cheap, and efficient fixed route transit in all parts of the city. Fixed route transit service performs best with transit-supportive densities, a connected street grid, and a relatively flat topography. In areas of Austin that lack these characteristics, other solutions are necessary.

In 2023, the resulting 47.32% is similar to the percentages reported in several of the most previous years, with no discernable trend presenting itself throughout the analysis process.

Note: To see the underlying data for this chart, please select the "View Source Data" link.

This measure will be affected by the development of public infrastructure, the provision of innovative public mobility services and by the amount and type of private home development. Capital Metro considers service changes three times per year: January, June, and August. At any of these points, it is possible that routes could be altered so that more or less of the population falls within a quarter-mile buffer of the transit route. Additionally, with the passage of Project Connect, a major expansion of several public transit lines should substantially increase the number of people within a quarter mile of a public transit route.

Innovative public transit services, like Capital Metro’s Pickup service, allow for more flexible on-demand trips in areas that are not served by fixed route transit. For the same cost of a ride on traditional Capital Metro buses, users can take a rideshare trip within designated Pickup zones to get to their destination, or as a way to connect to existing fixed route transit stops to continue their trip across town.

Another innovative service in Austin is MetroBike. Services like MetroBike are often seen as a “first/last mile” option, which allows someone to ride MetroBike a short distance to access public transportation, which can be taken much further distances. Metro bike is working on a system expansion to expand the system’s overall footprint,as well as testing the use of smaller docks that can be installed in more places. Perhaps most consequentially. MetroBike is continuing to convert their standard bikes to be fully electric, which will help expand the locations in Austin that are accessible by bike. Austin’s hills, hot weather, and less dense neighborhoods will become more accessible on a MetroBike that is electric as opposed to being solely powered by the rider.

Creating and improving regular fixed route transit and innovative services such as Pickup and MetroBike adjacent to where people live is essential for Austin to reach the 50/50 mode share goal identified in the Austin Strategic Mobility Plan. If people do not have access to these mobility options it is less likely that they will use and rely upon them, which will in turn create greater reliance on driving as the default and primary mode of transportation. Improving and increasing access to public transportation and innovative mobility services can help supply travel choice, lower travel costs, and lower vehicle emissions due to transportation.